A German East Africa M. C. pair to Major W. D. Downes, Royal Sussex Regiment, attached 4th Battalion, Nigeria Regiment

MILITARY CROSS, G.V.R. (Capt., Royal Sussex Regt., attached Nigeria Regt., 1 Jan. 1918), privately engraved; AFRICA GENERAL SERVICE 1902-56, 1 clasp, West Africa1908 (2/Lieut., R. Sussex Regt.), mounted court style for display, cleaned but otherwise very fine and rare (2)

This lot was sold as part of a special collection, The AA Upfill-Brown Collection.

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M.C., London Gazette, 1 January, 1918: 'When in command of an advanced detachment from 5 to 7 June 1917, he displayed great determination and dash in the handling of his command. His resolute action and skilful leadership against the enemy's rearguard kept them on the run and prevented them occupying a stronger and more favourable position. Again, during the action at Mahiwa on the 16 October 1917, it was greatly to this officer's credit that, after his company had been forced to retire from their trench line owing to the enemy's artillery enfilading his line and causing very heavy casualties, he was able to reform his somewhat shaken troops in the open and later, when the enemy delivered an infantry attack, was able to lead them back to their old trenches and successfully repulsed the attack.'

Major W. D. Downes was awarded the above described A.G.S. for services in the Sonkwala District in West Africa during December 1908, presumably while attached to the Southern Nigeria Regiment. This same clasp was issued to just over forty German colonial troops from the Cameroons who assisted in the operations under Lieutenant-Colonel G. F. A. Whitlock, an ironic case of imperial liaison which must have played sorely on Downes's conscience a few years later! He was author of the 1919 Methuen publication, 'With the Nigerians in German East Africa. '